Sacramento County supervisors declare state of emergency due to storm damage

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors proclaimed a local state of emergency effective for 30 days on Tuesday in response to a spate of winter storms this month.

Approving a state of emergency allows the county to seek reimbursement from state and federal governments for damage caused by the storms. With more storms expected to move into the area this week, staff said the county’s Emergency Operations Center remains activated.

Stephen Cantelme, chief of the county Office of Emergency Services, told the board that parts of Wilton, Point Pleasant and areas near the Mokelumne River, Grizzly Slough and Snodgrass Slough are flooded. Point Pleasant residents are still advised to evacuate, but advisories have been lifted for Wilton and Rio Linda.

Supervisor Don Nottoli, whose south county district includes many of the affected areas, said he thinks the damage from the last week of storms could amount to “many hundreds of thousands” of dollars.

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“From what I saw on Friday and Saturday out there, there’s going to be a need for a good deal of repair,” he said.

The Board of Supervisors will consider whether to extend the proclamation in 30 days. The proclamation was signed by County Executive Nav Gill on Jan. 11, retroactive to Jan. 5, but had to be approved by the board within seven days to take effect.

Atmospheric rivers have a significant impact the U.S. west coast. Snow, rain and flooding due to the weather phenomenon can cause major damage to property. McClatchyPatrick Gleason / McClatchy